Shhhhhh....

I have been wanting to make one of these for months now. 

 Then, I spotted a cute one on Pinterest and decided it was now or never. 

 I was taking a walk and found some scrap wood my neighbor had thrown out...so I grabbed a piece, knowing it was the perfect shape and size for my sign.

Some of you, especially if you've never experienced the joy of finally getting your baby to sleep, only to have someone ring your doorbell, may think this is rude or extreme.

  But I can almost promise you that if and when you have a newborn and you're so sleep deprived you can't even find the energy or brain function to brush your teeth, when you look at this sign you will literally see glowing halo's all around it.

Okay, maybe not halo's but it will make your heart skip a beat!

I spray painted it aqua (surprise, surprise!) and then I used a circle foam brush to make polka dots.

After that dried, I used a Sharpie oil based paint pen to write my wordage, and just an FYI for all you paint pen folks, I will NEVER use another brand of paint pen again.  

The Sharpie oil based pens are amazing and they go on so smooth and even!

  No shaking or messing up because a big blob came shooting out.  

I can't say enough great things about them.

After that, I hammered in a metal hook to the back and used ribbon to attach it to my door.

Cute and functional...and I dare someone to ring my doorbell when my sign is hanging up! ;-)

Baby update:

Went to doctor this morning for 38 week check up and she said she definitely is seeing some progress!

I went from absolutely ZERO signs of labor last Tuesday to 2cm dilated today, so I'm happy :)

At least baby plans to come out at some point.

Here's my 37 and 38 week belly pics:

We are getting super excited about little baby!

Now, we just need to decide on a girl name since we are fairly sure about the boy name ( I say that reluctantly because it seems as soon as we think we are certain about a name, one of us comes back with another idea...ha!).

I'm off to finish the nursery...hoping to post pics by Friday...I have worked on this nursery for several weeks and I can NOT wait to show you the fruits of my labor...which hopefully will be followed by actual labor ;-)

Published :-)

I've officially been published...TWICE!

The excitement of receiving the magazines in the mail, knowing my articles were in there were priceless!!!

Ironically, the two magazines aren't affiliated in any way but I was published in the March edition of both of them.  

One is our local magazine.  My sweet friend, Lee Ann, asked if I'd be interested in doing a DIY piece and of course I said YES! 

She wrote the article and I created the Easter crafts (during Christmas...which was very weird).

I made an Easter-y tree, a chalkboard, and a bright, Spring wreathe (my favorite craft- very Lily P. if you asked me!)

  I love the way it turned out and I am so grateful that she asked me to be a part!

The second magazine is Military Spouse Mag.

  I wrote the article and did the DIY projects for this particular assignment.  

The article was about easy, inexpensive ways to decorate your home when you are constantly changing homes. This was obviously geared toward military families.

 I did a chalkboard tutorial, a personalized family monogram canvas, and some framed children's art.

I'm inspired to seek out more writing and crafting opportunities in my future!

  It really is so rewarding to put time and effort into something and then be able to see the finished results in hard copy.  

I'm hooked!

Moroccan Herb Pot DIY {Re-Post}

{This was originally posted April, 2011 but I decided to re-post for all my new followers throughout this year, especially with gardening season in full bloom! I hope you enjoy!}

I am such a cheap-o.  I LOVE all of the pretty pots that are everywhere, but I refuse to pay $20 for a POT!  So, I decided to make my own.

Supplies:

One can of spray paint (color of your choice!)

Terra-Cotta pots (I purchase my medium sized ones at Walmart for $1.98 a piece)

Plant

Chalkboard Paint (not pictured)

Lay out your pots, leaving a good amount of space in between.  It's a good idea to spray paint outside because it can be messy and smelly!

Give it as many coats of paint as you would like...allowing the pots to dry in between coats.  I did 2 coats...I liked the worn look of not covering the pots completely.  The terra cotta soaks up paint and creates a neat, rustic finish.

Make your own stencil.  Fold in half to make sure that you have an even stencil.  I did a Moroccan stencil, but you can do any shape...circle, square, polka dots....

Hold your stencil (or if you're not lazy like I am, tape it on!)

Using a permanent marker, trace around your stencil:

Then you paint inside of your stencil with your chalkboard paint.  It took 2 coats for me to cover the pot good.

Let them dry reallllllly good!

Plant your plants (I used herbs) and then label with your chalk.

Last year, I planted a big pot of 3 different herbs.  I used them to make a bean salad when my mom came to visit.  Later, I realized that one of my "herbs" was really a weed that had started to grow in my pot!  If I would've used a pot like this, I wouldn't have added a weed to my bean salad!  Although it makes for a pretty good story because we ate the salad before we figured out what I had done :)

Sew For Yourself: Rain Cloud Burp Cloth

For this project you can use brand new fabric, or you can upcycle some fabric.

I used a blouse that was just waiting to be transformed into something else.  

I started by cutting out a rectangle from the back section of the blouse.

Then I cut out a piece of white fleece, the same size as the rectangle I cut for the blouse.

Placing right sides together, I sewed the fleece and blouse piece together, leaving a small section unsewn so I could turn the burp cloth right side out.

(Small Hole)

After I turned the burp cloth right side out, I hand sewed the small hole closed.

Now you should have something that looks like this:

Here comes the fun part!

Using white felt, I cut a cloud and rain drops out and pinned them onto the burp cloth.

I also added some fancy stitch work to the edges...this is totally optional.

Next, sew your raincloud and raindrops on.  

When I flip my burp cloth over, I not only have the design on the front, but it created a neat monotone design on the back.  I love these easy details!

I'm a fan of the lime and aqua fabric against the stark white.  Makes for a very unique and soft burp cloth for your little one...or the perfect gift for someone else's little one!

I love seeing your re-creations!

Please email me a picture or link to your blog if you decide to make your own burp cloth :)

This morning I am headed to my 36 week check up.

I don't remember feeling all this heaviness with Caleb.

This week, I think I may be experiencing what they call "dropping".

Suddenly my belly feels so heavy and I also feel like I've morphed back to the 1st trimester with the amount of potty trips I'm taking.  So much pressure everywhere!

I've also had contractions.  Several random ones just about every day and I definitely didn't experience that with Caleb.

I guess they are Braxton Hicks although some hurt way worse than others!

We will see what the doctor says today.

I'm getting antsy to meet this little squishy babe!

DIY: Candy Heart Door Hanger

It's LOVE MONTH!

Valentine's Day is such a fun holiday. 

 Hearts and pink and red and chocolate and remembering all those that you love. 

 Valentine's Day is so much more than just spending time with your significant other...although I do love that significant other of mine ;)

I think it's a day to love on your main man even more and remember everyone in your life that you love!

I'm in the spirit and if you lived anywhere near my town, you would know that wooden door hangers are the rage.  

Just about every house in my neighborhood has a wooden, polka dotted monogram letter sign, or a big wooden, polka dotted heart. 

 You can order them at tons of gift shops for $40-$50 a pop!  So, if you know me at all, you know that I am definitely not dishing out that much money for something crafty to hang on my door.

My alternative costs about $10 and I love it...and so do my neighbors because it's different from their gift shop versions :)

Here's how you can make your own:

Lowe's and Home Depot both sell 2'x2' pre cut plywood squares for around $5...I grabbed me up one!

Next, I laid out a tarp and pulled out a deep pink spray paint can.

 Nice and pink

 Lightly draw your heart shape onto your board with a pencil, then use a paint pen to paint over your stencil line.

Fill in your heart...I did two coats of white.

Using my white paint pen, I drew some polka dots then used a round foam brush to fill in the dots...the best part is that your dots don't have to be perfectly circle!

I decided I wanted to make this look as much like a candy heart as possible, so I used my ruler and drew "Be Mine" in pencil, then used pink paint and a thin brush to paint over my pencil lines.

I added some hardware and a ribbon to the back...and VOILA!

Will you be mine??? :)


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